The Brooklyn Nets had a potentially all-time great trio in Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. Due to injuries and Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, that group only played in 16 games with one another, with the trio losing a member when Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers last year.
This era of Nets basketball officially came to an end this week when the team traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Durant to the Phoenix Suns. And in a pretty strange coincidence, Saturday also marked Harden’s first game back in Brooklyn since he was sent to Philly last year. The game itself was quite good — the Sixers rallied to win, 101-98, despite Spencer Dinwiddie hitting a shot from near halfcourt that the officials ruled was not out of his hand in time.
DINWIDDIE AT THE BUZZER.
BUT DIDN’T COUNT
pic.twitter.com/FSACjiTaIJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 12, 2023
After it ended, Harden spoke to the media and got asked about things coming to an end in Brooklyn. He did not hold back, calling the era “frustrating” and saying that “I don’t look like the crazy one. I don’t look like the quitter or whatever the media wanna call me.”
James Harden on his time with the Nets: “…fast forward to today, I don’t look like the crazy one. I don’t look like the quitter or whatever the media wanna call me. I knew what was going on and I just decided I’m not built for this. I don’t wanna deal with that…” (1/2)
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) February 12, 2023
Harden continued: ” I wanna play basketball and have fun and enjoy doing it. Fast forward to today, they got a whole new roster.”
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) February 12, 2023
Harden, while discussing his tenure with KD/Kyrie:
“Frustrating. It’s a lot of what ifs, I think when you play less than 20 games together. So it’s a little bit frustrating, but it is what it is. Hopefully everybody’s in a good place now and we can move on.”
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 12, 2023
Harden had a productive night in his return to Brooklyn, scoring 29 points with six assists and six rebounds in 37 minutes of work.